Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-10-07
The PROHIBITION POLICY,
As Outlined by John B. Finch, at the
New York State Prohibition
Convention.
There Mast Be No Bargains, No Trades,
and No Compromises.
Keep Step with the Music Of "Home
Sweet Home" and Press Forward
to Victory.
[Froln the Yoice.I

from the Voice.I
MI. Finch was greeted with one of the
most enthusiastic demonstrations ever given
70 public speaker, and while the band
played Hail to the Chief" he stood with
bowed head. When silence was restored
he proceeded with his address, prefacing it
by the statement that he could not under
theIclrcumstances make a set speech. He
spoke substantially az follows:
we have determined to mass the voters
around this principle and take possession
OF the legislative and executive depart
ments OF the Government, enact this prin-
clple INTO statutes and enforce them. We
are not seeking balance Of power, but we
are organized to advocate principle and
thrash al. parties who do not accept it. We
are seeking Office only as it will enahle us
to advance the princil lie. We only seek to
pull down the old parties SO we can get the
material to build new one. We believe if
we can prove the new party is necessity
that all intelligent and conscientious men
who favor the principle will come to us.
Early in the colonial history the rcen
who had charge of the Government be-
came alarmed at the liquor traffic because
1t dcpauched the citizens and endangered
the Government. AS early as 1856 eleven
States had passed prohibitory laws, making
the sale of liquor misdemeanor in ten
States and felony in one. In 1856 an
other issue came up. Slavery became ag-
gressive. 1t took the nation by the throat,
and the only question in the North was.
Shall the Union live or shall it die? In the
South it was, Shall tho Confederacy be es-
tablished? The moral men of nation are
its patriots, while the bad and immoral
men are its bounty jumpers, bummers, and
dead-beats. During that struggle pulpits
were empty because ministers were in the
army. Schools were closed or tau hit by
girls because tie teachers were fighting on
one side for the Union, on the other for
the Confedera@; but who ever heard of q
bar-room being closed for want of bar
tender? The bad men Of nation always
make the necessities of nation their
opportunity for gain, and when the war
Was over there we're twice as many saloons
as when it commenced. Five prohib-
itory laws had been repealed. Gigan-
tic monopolies had been created. Labor
had been disturbed. And when the people
went to the dominant parties and asked
them, When will you settle these ques-
tions? they answered, Not yet! Recon-
struction was now the great question. From
1861 to 1864 it was the life of the Union;
from 1866 on was reconstruction. The
temperance people said. Hurry up! but the
politicians answered, 1t is not time yet.
But they gave political promises to settle
the question. 1t was renewed till 1876,
when Rutherford B. Hayes was seated and
proved that reconstruction was an accom-
plished fact BY putting ex- Confederate SOL
diers in important Federal positions, and
calling the armies out of the South. Hav-
ing waited for reconstruction, working in
tteir several organizations for temperance
through all those years, the temperance
people said. Now we can get Prohibition
But they were told if they pushed the issue
They asked for q payment of the protested
paper, but were answered, The party is di-
vided and we can't settle. It has been SO
long past due that it is not worth five cents
ON the dollar, and we will never present il
for payment again.
IAN issue is never settled by lodging.
There is no fever without cause. There
is no disturbance in the body polite with
out a cause. When great masses assemble
in the cities demanding better conditions,
the man who says it is the work of dema-
gogue is political idiot. What mean the
great riots in Chicago, Cincinnati, and St.
louis? They mean that there is fever in
his country, and the cause that has pro-
lluced that fever must be found and a
proper remedy applied, or the patiet will
take the nostrum of some political quack,
and we shall be in worse condition than
now. The old parties would not if they
could, and could not if they would, cure
this disease, and therefore we must find a
party that can and will. They are turning
away from every vital question, and the
inaction of statesmen is the opportunity OF
I,- Va M
the past-that is secure. We know What
they have done. We are only anxious t.
know what they will do, and are therefore
asking them, What of the morrow?
what are the issues between the Demo
cratic and Republican parties? There ore
none. Why are men Republicans or Dem
differences now, but because there were
differences in the past Yet men boast
that they belong to party. do not be.
long to the Prohibition party. l am 6
member of it. belong to no party!"
MIR. Finch spoke of the rapid disappear.
ance of the public lands, and of the danger
from great cities, and continued: "The
great brewer of this city has more influence
in politics than the Chancellor of the Uni.
versity. The saloon is of more importance
to the politician than the prayer meeting
for it controls more votes. Why are we
alarmed? There have always been bar.
rooms, and while they have ruined mer
and WON they have not ruined the coun.
try, and WON'T said gentleman to me
| Say that over again, and say 1t slow. The
| modern bar-room is a thing of compare.
lively recent growth. A few years ago the
liquor traffic was conducted in taverns
groceries, or drug stores. The Sunday
concert saloon and the beer garden were
unknown when was boy. But under the
influence of the brewers the Legislature
amended the law so as to allow the sale o
malt liquor in saloons, but would not per
NIT the sale of distilled liquors unless thu
person had three beds and certain accom-
molations for horses. When they foun'
that the liquor dealers were openly violat
ing the law, instead of furnishing them TO
rebellion they repealed the law, and thu
taught them that the way to secure the re
spect of law is to violate it.
too day the liquor traffic is business
created by law, in which man with les
money, loss brains, less character, car
make more money than in any other bust
ness. 1t is the only business in which
disreputable character is at premium
When Sullivan became pueilist, drunk
ard and -beater, he was paid S2,50O tt
permit his name to stand over salool
door. In Chicago, of $500 saloon-keep
ers, large proportion have been convicted
of misdemeanor or felony. No bushes
experience is required for success, as will
wv, noodo and other fro1as man Onl,